That’s Rocky Gresset and some guy that owns a dog house playing a Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer song.
Funny to think of what becomes a jazz standard. The Days of Wine and Roses was pretty predictable, but lots of other less predictable things make it into Real Books, or Fake Books, or whatever they call the bootleg books of songs that might be needed on a General Business bandstand.
I’m not in the business anymore, but I notice things. The Beatles have a bunch of things that trad jazz bands don’t turn their nose up at anymore. Stevie Wonder songs, quite a bit, too. It’s Not Easy Being Green, originally sung by Kermit the Frog is another one you might not see coming. Hell, Wichita Lineman gets murdered by naugahyde-and-well-drink assassins as often as Autumn Leaves. Honestly, would you expect My Favorite Things to become a jazz standard? I would, but I’m strange.
A good song is a cupcake, not a wedding cake.
7 Responses
I always wonder how many naugas had to die for the sofas and chairs that I sat on.
Jazz remains in my lightweight category until they do versions of ever-popular polkas. She's Too Fat For Me can compete with Fats Navarro's Fat Girl any day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z1ma6adzxw
Note: no naugas were sacrificed in the making of that polka. Maybe some wood was um, borrowed.
A good song is one I listen to all the way to the end.
Unexpected songs that made for good jazz material, off the top of my head:
I'm an Old Cowhand, by Sonny Rollins
There's No Business Like Show Business, ditto
Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Bill Evans
Tea for Two, Monk
Holiday for Strings, Sun Ra
Wives and Lovers, Grant Green
The last is in the mold of My Favorite Things, even featuring Coltrane's rhythm section.
G Bob!
Dear lord, that Sun Ra selection was interplanetary — extraordinary. A supernatural thing.
Like browsing the fall spacewear collection in Nordstrom Mars.
Do NOT walk down the perfume aisle in the Nordstrom's on Mars.